{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T13:38:21Z","timestamp":1786714701433,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786665600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of University and Research","award":["CUP D93C22000890001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CUP D93C22000890001"]}]},{"name":"European Union-NextGenerationEU","award":["decree 1550, 11.10.2022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["decree 1550, 11.10.2022"]}]},{"award":["decree 1550, 11.10.2022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["decree 1550, 11.10.2022"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/019w4f821","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Fresh-cut apples are highly susceptible to quality deterioration due to enzymatic browning and oxidative degradation of bioactive compounds. This study investigated the effects of conventional polyethylene packaging (PE, Pack 1) and two innovative biodegradable packaging materials (Pack 2 and Pack 3) on the stability of bioactive compounds in fresh-cut Golden Delicious apples during refrigerated storage. Individual phenolic compounds ((+)-catechin, caffeic acid, (\u2212)-epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, rutin, and quercetin) were quantified by HPLC-PDA, while spectrophotometric assays were used to determine total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH). The environmental performance of the packaging materials was assessed through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using SimaPro v.9.5.5. Results: Polyphenol stability was significantly influenced by packaging and storage time (p &lt; 0.001). Compared with fresh-cut apples at t0, Pack 2 promoted a 17.4% increase in total phenolic content after 21 days, whereas Pack 1 and Pack 3 showed reductions of 31.0% and 37.6%, respectively. HPLC analysis revealed compound-specific responses, with rutin and quercetin being markedly better preserved in Pack 3 after 21 days (17.65 and 1.93 mg\/100 g, respectively) than in Pack 1 (0.67 and 0.19 mg\/100 g, respectively). Two-way ANOVA confirmed significant effects of storage time, packaging, and their interaction on TPC, TFC, ABTS activity, and all individual phenolic compounds (p &lt; 0.001), whereas DPPH activity was not significantly affected (p &gt; 0.05). Pearson correlation (TPC\u2013ABTS, r = 0.6885, p &lt; 0.001) and principal component analysis indicated that antioxidant capacity was more closely associated with the qualitative phenolic profile than with total phenolic concentration alone. LCA highlighted environmental trade-offs among the packaging systems: Pack 1 showed lower impacts in several categories, Pack 2 displayed an intermediate environmental profile, whereas Pack 3 reduced dependence on fossil resources but exhibited higher land- and water-use impacts together with limitations related to end-of-life management. Conclusion: Packaging materials significantly affected the preservation of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in fresh-cut apples while exhibiting distinct environmental profiles. The results demonstrate that no packaging system simultaneously maximized product quality and environmental sustainability, highlighting the importance of integrating analytical performance with life-cycle assessment when developing innovative food packaging solutions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules31162845","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T13:12:56Z","timestamp":1786713176000},"page":"2845","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Impact of Packaging Material on Polyphenol Preservation and Environmental Sustainability in Fresh-Cut Apples"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7233-0290","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lucia","family":"Maddaloni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome; Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3025-1831","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuliana","family":"Vinci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano, 9, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6877-6356","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paola","family":"Russo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Roma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2013-3367","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppina","family":"Adiletta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Roma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicholas","family":"Torchia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PhenoFarm Srl, Strada Provinciale per Orvinio, 02038 Scandriglia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4766-1001","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sabrina Antonia","family":"Prencipe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano, 9, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2026, June 15). ISTAT Cultivation of Fruit in Italy. Available online: http:\/\/dati.istat.it\/OECDStat_Metadata\/ShowMetadata.ashx?Dataset=DCSP_COLTIVAZIONI&ShowOnWeb=true&Lang=it."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112754","DOI":"10.1016\/j.postharvbio.2023.112754","article-title":"Effect of Storage Conditions on Phenolic Composition, Vitamin C and Antioxidant Activity of \u201cGolden Delicious\u201d and \u201cRed Delicious\u201d Apples","volume":"210","author":"Ferreira","year":"2024","journal-title":"Postharvest Biol. Technol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Serra, S., Anthony, B., Sesillo, F.B., Masia, A., and Musacchi, S. (2021). Determination of Post-Harvest Biochemical Composition, Enzymatic Activities, and Oxidative Browning in 14 Apple Cultivars. Foods, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods10010186"},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"1","article-title":"Changes in Phenols Composition and Activity of Phenylalanine-Ammonia Lyase in Apples after Fungal Infections","volume":"38","year":"2011","journal-title":"Hort. Sci."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1847","DOI":"10.1007\/s13197-022-05447-8","article-title":"Advances in Apple Packaging: A Review","volume":"60","author":"Bhat","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Food Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2541","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jafc.2c07828","article-title":"Effect of Storage Conditions on the Stability of Polyphenols of Apple and Strawberry Purees Produced at Industrial Scale by Different Processing Techniques","volume":"71","author":"Bernal","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"M1735","DOI":"10.1111\/1750-3841.13353","article-title":"Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antiproliferative Activities of Free and Bound Phenolics from Peel and Flesh of Fuji Apple","volume":"81","author":"Luo","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Food Sci."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101395","DOI":"10.1016\/j.progpolymsci.2021.101395","article-title":"Challenges and New Opportunities on Barrier Performance of Biodegradable Polymers for Sustainable Packaging","volume":"117","author":"Wu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Prog. Polym. Sci."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1007\/s00217-026-05145-1","article-title":"Extending Fresh-Cut Apple Shelf-Life with a High-Barrier Starch-Based Biofilm","volume":"252","author":"Adiletta","year":"2026","journal-title":"Eur. Food Res. Technol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Di Matteo, G., Di Matteo, P., Sambucci, M., Tirill\u00f2, J., Giusti, A.M., Vinci, G., Gobbi, L., Prencipe, S.A., Salvo, A., and Ingallina, C. (2021). Article Commercial Bio-Packaging to Preserve the Quality and Extend the Shelf-Life of Vegetables: The Case-Study of Pumpkin Samples Studied by a Multimethodological Approach. Foods, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods10102440"},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"(2006). Environmental Management\u2014Life Cycle Assessment\u2014Principles and Framework (Standard No. ISO 14040:2006)."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108317","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodcont.2021.108317","article-title":"Improvement of the Microbial Quality, Antioxidant Activity, Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents, and Shelf Life of Smoked Herring (Clupea harengus) during Frozen Storage by Using Chitosan Edible Coating","volume":"130","author":"Sallam","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food Control"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"940","DOI":"10.1080\/10408398.2018.1553025","article-title":"Improving the Shelf-Life and Quality of Fresh and Minimally-Processed Fruits and Vegetables for a Modern Food Industry: A Comprehensive Critical Review from the Traditional Technologies into the Most Promising Advancements","volume":"60","year":"2020","journal-title":"Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"320","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tifs.2015.06.002","article-title":"Modified Atmosphere Packaging for Shelf Life Extension of Fresh-Cut Apples","volume":"46","author":"Cortellino","year":"2015","journal-title":"Trends Food Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sharma, A., Shahzad, B., Rehman, A., Bhardwaj, R., Landi, M., and Zheng, B. (2019). Response of Phenylpropanoid Pathway and the Role of Polyphenols in Plants under Abiotic Stress. Molecules, 24.","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules24132452"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1111\/jipb.13054","article-title":"Contribution of Phenylpropanoid Metabolism to Plant Development and Plant\u2013Environment Interactions","volume":"63","author":"Dong","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Integr. Plant Biol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6516","DOI":"10.1021\/jf034475w","article-title":"Major Phenolics in Apple and Their Contribution to the Total Antioxidant Capacity","volume":"51","author":"Lee","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Srednicka-Tober, D., Baranski, M., Kazimierczak, R., Ponder, A., Kopczynska, K., and Hallmann, E. (2020). Selected Antioxidants in Organic vs. Conventionally Grown Apple Fruits. Appl. Sci., 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/app10092997"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104156","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfca.2021.104156","article-title":"Evaluation of Chlorogenic Acid Accumulation in Cultivated and Wild Apples","volume":"104","author":"Liao","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Food Compos. Anal."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1727","DOI":"10.1007\/s13197-015-2093-8","article-title":"Apple Phenolics as Nutraceuticals: Assessment, Analysis and Application","volume":"53","author":"Rana","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Food Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2016.07.166","article-title":"Identification\/Quantification of Free and Bound Phenolic Acids in Peel and Pulp of Apples (Malus domestica) Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS)","volume":"215","author":"Lee","year":"2017","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jakobek, L., and Mati\u0107, P. (2024). Phenolic Compounds from Apples: From Natural Fruits to the Beneficial Effects in the Digestive System. Molecules, 29.","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules29030568"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1038\/s41538-025-00450-7","article-title":"Improving the Oxygen and Water Vapour Barrier Properties of PLA via a Novel Interface Engineering","volume":"9","author":"Zhu","year":"2025","journal-title":"npj Sci. Food"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marano, S., Laudadio, E., Minnelli, C., and Stipa, P. (2022). Tailoring the Barrier Properties of PLA: A State-of-the-Art Review for Food Packaging Applications. Polymers, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/polym14081626"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3048","DOI":"10.1021\/ic402882a","article-title":"Ligand-Directed Conformation of Inorganic-Organic Molecular Capsule and Cage","volume":"53","author":"Yang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Inorg. Chem."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"134891","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2022.134891","article-title":"Life Cycle Assessment of PE and PP Multi Film Compared with PLA and PLA Reinforced with Nanoclays Film","volume":"380","author":"Bala","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Clean. Prod."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rezvani Ghomi, E., Khosravi, F., Saedi Ardahaei, A., Dai, Y., Neisiany, R.E., Foroughi, F., Wu, M., Das, O., and Ramakrishna, S. (2021). The Life Cycle Assessment for Polylactic Acid (PLA) to Make It a Low-Carbon Material. Polymers, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/polym13111854"},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"243","article-title":"Bioactive Polyphenol Profiles and Antioxidant Activity in Italian Apples Varieties","volume":"31","author":"Tarola","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ital. J. Food Sci."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2013.10.086","article-title":"Optimisation of the Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Apples Using Response Surface Methodology","volume":"149","author":"Alberti","year":"2014","journal-title":"Food Chem."}],"container-title":["Molecules"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1420-3049\/31\/16\/2845\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T13:13:00Z","timestamp":1786713180000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1420-3049\/31\/16\/2845"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]]},"references-count":29,"journal-issue":{"issue":"16","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["molecules31162845"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/molecules31162845","relation":{},"ISSN":["1420-3049"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1420-3049","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]]}}}